Actor-politician Saayoni Ghosh says no link to property tied to Abhishek Banerjee

TRinamool us congress MP and early days backstage chief Saayoni Ghosh on wed defended herself against allegations linking her to a calcutta property allegedly associated with Abhishek Banerjee, dismissing the claims as “fake news” and warning of legal action against those spreading the allegations.Ghosh, who was already in the spotlight a day earlier after alleging she received an “open death threat” from a BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh, said attempts were now being made to malign her through “fake news” over property ownership claims.In a post on X, Ghosh denied allegations that she jointly owns a property at “19 D Seven Tanks Road, Kolkata 700030” with Abhishek Banerjee. Calling the allegations baseless, she said her financial disclosures were already in the public domain through her election affidavit.“People simply blessed me & I am grateful. I want my voters to know my assets have been declared on my election affidavit. Check the records. For those trying to defame me without any evidence - STOP NOW!” Ghosh wrote."Please know, I won’t budge an inch, I won’t let it pass. Legal action will be taken for spreading fake news. This ‘Ghosh’ wont be bullied," she added. The actor-turned-politician also warned detractors against attempting to defame her without evidence. “For those trying to defame me without any evidence — STOP NOW!... Legal action will be taken for spreading fake news. This ‘Ghosh’ wont be bullied,” she said, ending the post with a line from Rabindranath Tagore: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.”Death threat rowOn Tuesday, Saayoni Ghosh had alleged that she was facing an “open death threat” after Sikandrabad Nagar Palika chairman and BJP leader Pradeep Dixit allegedly announced a ₹1 crore reward"> ₹1 crore reward for anyone who “beheads” her.“Whoever brings Saayoni Ghosh’s severed head will be given a reward of ₹1 crore,” Dixit was heard saying in videos circulated widely on social media. Speaking to a web channel later, he did not deny making the remark.The comments triggered outrage from the TMC MP, who tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on X, demanding action.“I am taken aback to see a public announcement offering a ₹1 crore reward for my beheading, issued by none other than a Nagar Palika Chairman and BJP leader from Sikandrabad, UP,” she wrote.Questioning the BJP’s commitment to women’s safety, Ghosh asked whether such remarks reflected the government’s vision of “Nari Shakti Vandan”. She also urged West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh Police to take immediate legal action against the BJP leader.The row stemmed from a controversial image shared from Ghosh’s social media account in 2015 that resurfaced during the 2021 and recent West Bengal elections. An FIR had been lodged against her over the post, though Ghosh has consistently maintained that her account had been hacked at the time and the image was uploaded by hackers. She said the post was deleted immediately after she regained access to the account.TMC alleges BJP smear campaignMeanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) accused the BJP of orchestrating a politically motivated smear campaign by allegedly leaking Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) notices related to properties purportedly linked to Banerjee and other party leaders.In an official statement, the ruling party said the reports and social media posts surrounding the KMC notices were “completely false, fabricated and devoid of any credibility.” The party alleged that the BJP had “unofficially” circulated the notices to media outlets and online platforms to target senior TMC figures.The controversy escalated after senior BJP leader and West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari alleged that several individuals linked to the TMC had amassed multiple properties. Naming Banerjee among others, Adhikari claimed that “Leaps and Bounds Private Limited has 14 properties” and alleged that Banerjee and his family together controlled 24 properties.According to civic body officials, the KMC recently issued notices under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act, 1980 to properties allegedly linked to Banerjee-founded company Leaps and Bounds Private Limited over unauthorised construction. Officials said property owners had been asked to either remove the unauthorised portions themselves or face demolition action by the civic body after seven days.Responding to the controversy earlier, Banerjee struck a defiant note while addressing party legislators. “Let them do whatever they want... Raze down my home, send notice. I won’t bow down over these things. Come what may my fight will continue against BJP,” he said.